The early Jews were not monotheists, but followed henotheism or even outright polytheists. They had one central god but believed in other gods. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3) indicates the belief there was other gods. This was the tribal god, often bloodthirsty and murderous who (they claimed) ordered the killing […]
Monotheism
Judaism Meets Zoroastrianism – Lewis Loflin
Judaism and Zoroastrianism are both revealed religions and share a great deal in common. God imparts his revelation and pronounces his commandments to Zoroaster on “the Mountain of the Two Holy Communing Ones”; in the other Yahweh holds a similar communion with Moses on Sinai. According to jewishencyclodedia.com the points of resemblance between Zoroastrianism and […]
ZOROASTRIANISM, JUDAISM, AND CHRISTIANITY – Hannah M.G.Shapero
Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity share so many features that it seems that there must be a connection between them. Does this connection really exist? If so, how did it happen? And how much of the similarity between these faiths is due simply to parallel evolution, rather than direct contact and influence? The simplest answer to […]
Blood Sacrifice (full article)
Historical pagan practices have also included ritual animal sacrifice and utilized animal parts within ritual and magic. Traditional religions such as Christianity inherited their attitude towards blood and animal sacrifice from pagan origins, such as the way in which the Abel and Cain story was copied from the Sumerian story of Enkimdu and Damuzi6. Neo-paganism, […]
How the Jews Invented God, and Made Him Great – Ariel David
The God of the Old Testament started out as just one of many deities of the ancient Israelites. It took a traumatic crisis to make him into the all-powerful creator of the world. Jews, Christians and Muslims all believe in a single, omnipotent deity that created the heavens and earth. But if he was and […]